Of Hearts and Books and Things
by forbbidenfruite
Summary: Edward wants a mate. Isabella wants to enjoy her freedom. Carlisle and Esme want their family whole. Can everyone get what they want?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all,**

**It has been awhile since I have written a fanfiction, but this idea would not get out of my head so here it is. I want to make it clear that while these are the original Stephanie Meyer characters I am going to change them some. Also in this story vampires are vampires...or at least my version of vampires. That means sleeping in the day, no sparkling, fangs, and whatever else pops into my head. **

**I do not own _Twilight _nor any of its characters.**

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><p><strong>I<strong>t had been a long night at the ER for Carlisle. A teenager- an obviously drunk teenager- escorted by his equally inebriated friends had been brought in and appeared too blue and hyperventilating. He had been rushed into a room, but when the nurse used the alcohol swab to start and IV the blue came off and apparently was simply dye from the boy's shirt. This along with other miscellaneous issue made for one long night and he could not wait to get home to his family. Even though he loved each of his adopted children dearly tonight all he wanted was his mate. He knew that if he could deal with Alice chirping about what plans she, Esme, and Rose, started planning for the wedding he would be rewarded. For their 70th wedding anniversary Esme had wanted another wedding and he was not going to deny his mate that. He could not have asked for a better woman to have bonded with. He had seen many a male vampire be shackled to a mate who denied them or took advantage of them and Esme did neither of those things. She had accepted his life style, his children, and love. What more of her could he ask?

And it wasn't as if he was not looking forward to the wedding. He could not wait to marry his wife again in front of their family and friends. The hardest part for him- and Esme too- was the person that may not be there, who most likely would not be there. They had not seen or heard from Isabella in many years. He had met the young vampiress when he had taken Esme to Italy, this was about a year after his eldest adoptive child had left for a time. It was in the Volturi court that he had met Isabella Marie. She was a young duchess changed at the tender age of seventeen when her parents had visited the Volturi court. She was curious about his life style and eventually convinced him to take back to the states with him. By that time she had become a daughter to him. After a few years, just a year before Edward returned in fact, did Isabella decide to go out on her own. After more than seventeen years of being told what to do and forced to suppress her own desires in order to please the courts she decided it was time to do for herself. Esme had been devastated to see the girl she had seen as a daughter leave. When Rosalie, Carlisle's second eldest, returned home with her mate Esme had gotten a daughter again, but neither Rosalie nor Alice could replace Isabella in Esme's heart. To Esme Isabella was her second chance at a child and even though she let her go off into the world she never stopped missing her.

They would have invited Isabella, they wanted to invite her (if only to see she was okay), but they had not heard from her until the 1920's. It was best not to think about it, if he brought it up to Esme she would get upset and if there was one thing he could never willingly do was upset Esme. As his house came into view Carlisle shoved the image of a petit brunette vampire out of his mind and focused on listening to the noise coming from the house.

"Alice, if you touch my piano one more time, I swear your Porsche will have a horrible accident!" Edward roared.

"YOU know I have been trying to learn how to play! The least you can do is share your piano!" Alice, the second youngest, shrieked back. Alice had gotten it into her head that she was going to play the wedding march when the time came for the wedding. Even though he loved both of them,...or at least Carlisle believed he did, Edward fought often with his siblings. Part of Carlisle thought it was just part of Edward's personality while the other part of him wondered if his lack of a mate might lead to his more irritable nature. It could not be easy for Edward to live in a place full of mated couples while he, himself, was alone.

Carlisle stepped into the house right as Alice started to threaten Edward's precious Volvo. Emmett, the third eldest or youngest which ever you chose to look at it, sat on a couch behind his siblings grinning from ear to ear as they glanced around to catch a glimpse of his wife in the dining room setting the table for when he got home and wanted to eat. He passed his children and made a bee line for his wife.

"Hello, Love" he whispered into her ear as his arms encircled her waist. He could never stop getting butterflies in his stomach every time he saw her. Every time to him was like the first time he saw her and felt the bond of mates for the first time. He had seen her laying there a crumpled mess, barely hang in on by the string and knew that she was his mate. He saved her and they had been happy ever since. They did have their problems like all couples, but they were in fact happy.

"You will never guess what came in the mail today." Esme said after giving her husband a kiss.

"A lawsuit or against Emmett?" Carlisle guessed with a soft chuckle.

"No, a letter from her."

"Who?" Unfortunately Carlisle was not like Edward and a mind reader. He could only hope that it was not a overly important person so that Esme would not give him a lecture on remembering acquaintances and neighbors and whatever other people his wife deemed important.

"Isabella. A letter came from New York."

Carlisle could only stare at her. He didn't even know that Isabella knew where they lived. Barely anyone knew that Forks existed at al, so for Bella to know about it meant...he didn't know what it meant, but he could focus on that later. Right now what mattered was that she wrote them. "What did she say?" he asked, somewhat nervous about the answer.

"She asked how we were doing and said that she was living in New York. Apparently she has opened a rare bookshop in the paranormal district in the city. She gave us the address and said she would love for us to come and visit." Esme said, biting her lip torn between excitement and worry. Carlisle understood how she felt. The idea that she wanted to see him made him want to run across the whole country to get to her that very night, but they didn't want to put too much on her too soon. Between her time with her parents and time with the Volturi she loved her freedom more than anything and if they pushed too soon it might seem like they were caging her in.

"I was thinking,' Esme continued,' that we could have the vow renewal in New York. We could see Bella and it has been a bit since we have been to the house in New York."

"That sounds like an amazing plan. Have you mentioned it to the kids?"

"I didn't want to say anything until I got to talk to you,. Beside we never mentioned Bella to them." That was true. They had never told the others about Bella; perhaps it was just them being selfish about keeping her to themselves or the fact that they did not want Emmett and Alice to go hunting for their supposed long lost sister.

Carlisle looked at his mate. If they were going to do this eventually they were going to have to speak to the kids about this, but perhaps they needed time to think about how to explain this. "Tomorrow I will call in sick and we can spend the night together as a family. We can discuss Isabella with the children over breakfast."

When dawn came both laid down with their thoughts. They were nervous about the future would bring, but happy that now they had a chance to regain one of their children.

**A/N: So yeah...next chapter we get to hear more about Isabella's history with Carlisle and Esme and will get to see the family interact. Thanks for reading !**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who read, followed, favourited, and commented. As always I do not own Twilight. **

"Our futures disappeared!" Alice Cullen squealed, voice going an octave higher than should be possible. In her defense, however, it was rather unnerving to have one's future disappear with no warning and no obvious cause. Her siblings on the other hand found no sympathy for the pixie that was Alice. While the fear was justified they were more worried about losing their hearing to the vampiress.

"That doesn't mean our hearing has to go with it." Emmett grumbled as he followed her into the dining area where their foster parents were waiting for them. Why they decided this was a good morning for family breakfast Emmett had no idea, but any excuse for Esme to make her Red Velvet and bear blood waffles was a good reason to him.

"Please Alice, calm down we can explain." Carlisle said giving a reassuring smile to his children. Edward quirked an eyebrow at his foster father. Carlisle merely shook his head and gave nothing away in his thoughts. Letting Edward know everything first was not fair to his siblings and this was something for him to explain, not Edward, who would (in true Edward form) try to take over with questions and rants once he read Carlisle's mind.

Rosalie merely gave him a withering look. She was not one for surprises or change. Her personality fit being a vampire very well all things considered. She was forever in a state a beauty and would most likely always be part of the upper crust of society. His other children had the same, but Rosalie reveled in it more. She loved admirers and even though she loved Emmett she loved to string boys along. In her mind she was a goddess who should be worshipped. Alice had a bit of this in herself as well. Alice had no idea the value of a dollar- though in her defense she never really needed to- and she was a creature in need of immediate satisfaction. See a bag she likes? She cant wait to have it. She will pay the person carrying it right then and there to have it. The girls were not horrible or cruel, they were just young. They were still in the stage of selfishness and brashness and Esme believed that they would grow out of it (Carlisle prayed they would).

It was not if the boys were really any better. Emmett was perhaps the most childish of them all even with hiss large build and strength. At many times he was like a toddler who didn't fully realize that his kicks could hurt. Emmett may not have been the most mature, but Carlisle knew that he, like Bella, had an extra space in Esme's heart. Emmett wanted Esme's love and care-giving. He wanted to be nurtured and have some feeling of a family. While the others will sometimes push their love away, Emmett was ever constant in his want of it. Jasper, too, wanted it but he was too much like Edward to give into it. He would sigh and tell himself he didn't deserve love, he was a monster. Monster was a common word among the Cullen children and personally Carlisle thought they could have come up with a better reason for self loathing. Even though Jasper could be moody and gloomy the king of self loathing and angst was Edward. Carlisle didn't know where Edward got all of this anger and part of him thought that it was because he was so young when changed. He was forever stuck in the angsty stage. That theory worked well until he looked at the others and saw that despite there flaws and some questionable morals they were happy.

Isabella was changed at the same age as Edward and when he knew her she was never angsty. she got into moods, like everyone does, but there was no real self loathing. Even though she had killed humans for their blood and may or may not have done some questionable things she never seemed to get so melodramatic. This evidence along with multiple parenting books lead Carlisle to believe that this was just an unfortunate part of Edward's personality.

Carlisle smiled as he watched his wife serve breakfast. She was magnificent no matter what she was doing. How this splendid creature ever came into being was beyond-

Edward started gagging in his seat between Carlisle and Jasper. Carlisle gave him a pointed look and when Esme took her seat a cross from Carlisle at the other end of the table, he cleared his throat. "Your mother and I have decided we are all going to New York. Your visions, Alice, have disappeared because of Bella-"

"Who is Bella?" Alice demanded. She was annoyed that whoever this was was affecting her visions, but at the same time her curiosity was piqued at the idea of a new person.

"Don't interrupt, Alice. Bella or Isabella is a vampire that Esme and I met in Italy. She was a few years younger than Edward when we met, she was barely older than a new born at that time. -"

"But that doesn't explain-"

"Alice.," Carlisle said warningly,' She was part of Aro's guard. Her gift is quite spectacular, actually. None of your gifts will work on her; she is a shield. You cant read her mind, you cant change her emotions, you cant do anything to her unless she lets you even her ability to resist blood is affected by it. As I said she was young when we met. Before he time in Volterra she had been Duchess Isabella Newton, when she and her husband had come to visit the court in Volterra Aro found her gift as a human amazing and decided not to kill her, but to change her. She was intrigued by our way of life and somehow convinced Aro to let her come back with us."

"And then she just left?" Alice asked, unable to keep her mouth shut for more than five minuets.

"No. She stayed for a while, but Bella has a very free soul. she fell in love with freedom and eventually she left us to explore and grow some. She needed time to find herself." Esme said, speaking for the first time since Carlisle started his story. Since the moment Esme had laid eyes on Bella she could tell what the girl had wanted. She wanted a way out, a way to become not who others wanted her to be, but who she wanted herself to be. Isabella's leaving hadn't actually hurt Esme. True she missed her dearly, but she felt no injury due to Isabella's leaving. She had known that that girl needed to be free and needed to go find out who she was. "Once she left we lost contact with her. We received a letter she sent us yesterday and that has been the first message from her in almost a century."

"So let me get this straight,' puffed Rosalie,' You two are going to drag us across the country to see some girl who hasn't had the common courtesy to communicate to you for almost a century? Carlisle, you know this foolish. Tell the little chit thanks for the note, but you wont be visiting. Better yet don't talk to her at all."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows at Rosalie. Apparently the blonde forgot that she had not stayed with he and Esme all of her time as a vampire, even though she started it with them. During that time she was away she made no attempt to contact them either. "If memory serves me right, and I am sure it does, you have not always been with us, Rosalie. During the time away in fact, did you right a letter? Did you visit? Did you even ask to come back? We welcomed you with open arms, but a warning that you would be rejoining us would have been nice. Alll of you have done it. Maybe not as long as Isabella has, but all of you certainly have left only to come back with not so much as a word. Should we have turned you away? Should would have ignored you, then?"

Rosalie bristled, her pride hurt. Who cared what this Isabella wanted? Who cared if it was fair? They were happy(ish) in Forks. Sure it was far from any real civilization, and yes it only had one nice restaurant, but at least the towns people were not horrid. They saw what the Cullen family had and envied. Like the vain creature that Rosalie was, she loved every time she turned one of her classmates or teachers or whom ever into Green monsters. For her it was fun.

"Rosalie,' Esme said in a soft voice, 'if you do not wish to go, you don't have to. You can stay at one of your own estates elsewhere."

"I'm staying here."

"No, your not. This is house is in mine and Carlise's name. If we don't want you to stay here then you wont. Go somewhere else, if you don't want to support the family, if you only want to be with us when things go your way, then you don't have to stay here. Your an adult, Rosalie, and we expect you to act at such. You may be stuck at nineteen, but you need to act you eighty seven years." Esme said, her voice was still soft but there was a hardness to it, that was rarely there.

Rosalie's face was one of pure fury. Never in her life had Esme or Carlisle spoken to her like that. She had seen them be stern with Edward, Emmett, and Alice, but never had it been directed at her. How dare Esme? How dare anyone not stand up for her? The only one who could be happy was Alice and that was only because of the shopping in New York. Alice, unlike Rosalie, was so bribable.

Rosalie silently got up from her seat silently and then stormed off leaving the rest to watch her leave. "...So when do you want us to leave?" Jasper asked, opening up his mouth for the first time.

"You have tonight to pack, we are leaving once the sun set tomorrow."

**a/n: Okay so this became more about Rosalie than anything, but next chapter will either stick with the Cullens or be with Bella, it could go either way right now, but I promise more information on Bella's relationship with Carlisle and Esme. Thanks for reading. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Twilight, just this plot.  
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><p>"You seem pretty quiet over there, Bells. You okay?' Jacob asked her, worry clear in the werewolf's voice, 'Is it because of the leeches that are coming tomorrow?"<p>

"First of all, Jacob,' Isabella huffed, ' I do not enjoy being called a leech and second of all I was not thinking about that, but thank you for reminding me." She had been nervous ever since she had sent the letter to the Cullens. She did want to disturb them or uproot their life, she had just wanted to see them. She had wanted to show Carlisle and Esme what she had accomplished like when a child proudly shows their parents a picture they have drawn. Isabella had worked hard for the life she had created for herself in New York. She had a beautiful penthouse in Park Avenue, people she could call close friends, a career that was looking really good right now, and most importantly, she had found a life along with herself. She was new to being self aware and being comfortable with who she was and part of her was scared that when she saw Esme and Carlisle she would lose all the progress she had made and revert back to the girl she had been when she left them. She never wanted to be that girl again.

"I don't get it. First you are all excited about inviting them and now you are terrified." Jacob said. Though the statement was blunt, Isabella knew it came from a good place. Jacob was a good friend and a worrier when it came to her. This was his way of asking her if she still thought this was a good idea, if she wanted to back out now. He wanted her to know she had that option with out telling her what to do or feeling like he put a certain thought into her head. He also was trying to get her to talk. When nervous or feeling stressed Isabella had the habit of locking it in and not talking about it, this typically ended with a meltdown later about things that happened months ago.

If she was completely honest with herself and Jacob, she would tell him about how she never actually meant to send that letter. She had had a hard day and was unwinding with about three bottles of unicorn blood, to vampires this was basically the same thing as alcohol, that had been a gift from a satisfied demi-god client. Dealing with the Volturi always made her day bad. Aro had been nagging about how she needed to come to Italy. How she was wasting her talents and how she couldn't be truly happy catering to her food, by food he meant humans. He then spent another two hours going on and on and on about how she could better than that dog and how she needed to find a mate. Through this whole conversation she wanted to bang her head against a very hard wall.

Then as if talking to Aro was not enough she had been forced to talk to Jane. Jane was yet another person who was always ready to tell her how she wasting her life. "Whats eternity with out a purpose?" Jane had asked. What Jane did not understand was that Bella found a purpose, it just wasn't the same as Jane's. Jane's purpose was to serve Aro and be his guard dog, Bella's purpose was to help people find knowledge. After all of that she got drunk and in her drunk state she sent the letter to Carlisle. The next morning when she remembered she started freaking out.

"I don't know, Jake. All I know is that I am tried, thirsty, and annoyed at traffic." Bella huffed.

"Well look on the bright side, they come in tonight and they can get comfortable before you guys meet."

"Yeah, that makes me feel loads better."

After that the car fell into silence, both people locked up in their own thoughts.

It was about ten when the two made it to Antoinette's, a French restaurant that catered to humans and mthyicals alike. It was the closest you could get to French food with out being in France, it also had a vintage-modern feel, as odd as that sounded that made it very popular with those who ate places due to the ambiance that it had.

"You made reservations, correct?" Bella, ever the semi-control freak, asked as Jake opened her car door for her.

"Bells,' Jake started with a sigh,' I told you made reservations a month and a half early."

"I'm just making sure. Remember what happened last year?" Last year had been the first year that the book store had been opened. Since then many people came for books to pick up right away or inquire about getting rare books. One of the first people who came for a rare book was a Faery prince, and so Bella had wanted to give him a great time in New York which she knew would defiantly help bring in more clients. Of course when the night came and she, the prince, his entourage, and Jake were in car she found out that Jacob had nothing planned. They had ended up eating out of some food truck and the prince ended up loving it, but Bella had swore she would never let Jacob forget that night.

Isabella rolled her eyes as they made there way into the crowded restaurant. With its high ceiling and hanging chandeliers, the room seemed rather large, which it was , but the light and height made it seem even larger. The candles made the dark golden walls look like they were on fire and gave an enchanting glow to the place. The duo worked their way through the crowd, trying to find the right entrance. Isabella was small enough that getting through crowds was not terribly difficult, but having Jacob there was always a plus. His height and alpha vibes made the people part like the red sea. The issue with Antoinette's was that it was three stories. the entrance floor lead to the main resultant which catered mostly to humans and mythicals that could pull of eating normal food. The floor below that was a bar/club where the twenty-somethings flocked and a place where supernatural enjoyed as well, though with its no hunting rules it tended to be more human than mythical. The top floor, the floor where Isabella and Jacob was trying to get to, was the floor specifically for mythicals. As a vampire Isabella could eat food, but proffered to drink and would be able to that upstairs. Luckily their client was a Sphinx and not a human.

As soon as Isabella and Jacob got up the stairs, she spotted their client. Aas was not exactly hard to spot considering his thirteen foot height, and it did not seem bother him at all. "Good evening, my friend." Isabella called up to him as Jacob spoke to the hostess.

"Good evening...or should I say good day, Miss Swan?" Aas said, laughing at his own joke. Bella smiled patiently, it was not a new joke to her and she had learned to get used to it. After all he was a client and one needed to be nice either way.

"Are you hungry?" Bella asked, changing the subject as Jacob led them to their table in a private room with enough space for Aas to be comfortable.

"Famished." the sphinx said as their waitress put menus in front of them.

Bella looked at the blood list quietly as Jacob told the story of Faerie customer that he had dealt with and found the story funny. Personality she found it better than the story he told of how he had visited Alaska (which was true) and then by some wacky high-jinx had managed to sled dog in the Iditarod and helped a man with one leg win(Lie. Big lie). Somehow that story changed every time he told it. First he had been forced to race, then he accidently ended up racing, and then he valiantly raced to save a sick girl get her medicine. He was on a Balto kick for a while.

"How long will you be staying in New York?" Bella asked, cutting of Jacob's second story one that she hadn't hear before. She never liked him telling stories she didn't know with important clients. He was a great guy, but sometimes his stories could be on the racy side and she never wanted to insult a client.

"I plan to stay with friends for the next two weeks."

"Oh, how nice. If you need any ideas of where to go, I'd be happy to help." Isabella said with a smile.

"I might have to take you up on that, Ms. Swan."

"Please, there is no need to be so formal. Call me Isabella."

"Well, Isabella, I will make sure to call for suggestions."

"While we are on the topic of plans,' Isabella said, taking a sip of her lamb blood, 'what exactly is it that you are looking for? You mentioned it was very rare, but what exactly is it?"

"Business time, is it?' Aas asked with a laugh,' I am looking for the works of Sappho."

Isabella nearly spit out her blood. He wanted the books of Sappho? _The freaking books of freaking Sappho_? Those books had been lost along with the Library of Alexandria. It had been destroyed in 3rd century Ad and any hopes of those books coming back was lost when the other greater library of Egypt was destroyed 91 years later. There was no knowing where the books were, let alone if they had survived following centuries. It would probably be easier to find the Holy Grail than find the books of Sappho. Little had been found of the nine volumes.

"You understand that finding these books will be near impossible, yes?" she asked. She did not want to give the Sphinx false hopes. Money and profit was good, but she would not lie to keep a client.

"So you will not look them?"

"I never said we would not try, I just want to know that the chances of finding them are slim. The chances of finding them in tact are even slimmer."

"But you will try, yes?"

"I plan to. I would like to mention the price. If by some miracle we manage to find them the price will bee very steep. We are talking millions."

"Money is no problem for me."

"Okay then,'Isabella said, starting to worry her lip,' I will see what we can do. Do you have any ideas of where to start?"


	4. Chapter 4

**I Do Not Own Twilight, just this plot  
>A few notes before we get started:<br>****A) Thank all of you for all of your support, it really keeps me going.  
>B)I have realized that I have a tendency to make up words apparently, so please just go with it.<br>****C) The POV's in this chapter transfer twice. I did not put "_ POV", I did try to make the transition noticeable and making sense.  
>D) Bella and the Cullens do not interact in this chapter but I promise they will in the next. This chapter is just the last bit of build up.<br>E) I'm sorry if this seems too rushed or under-detailed  
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><p>"ALICE!" Edward roared a second after he stepped foot into his room. His room in New York was larger than the one in Forks and apparently his sister thought this meant she could use his room as a storage unit. He had just come back from a quick hunt when he saw what she had done. Bags and packages were everywhere. The only spot not covered was his piano, thank goodness for that.<p>

"Yes?" a high sweet voice called back, the perfect sound of innocence.

"What. Did. You. Do?" he snarled at the short vampiress in front of him. She looked completely with out guilt, if anything she looked a little exasperated with him. As if he was supposed to see her logic. Alice often acted like this, as if all of her thoughts and actions were perfect and everyone else was too slow to understand what she was doing. Most times, like now, she would sigh and explain the rightness of it all with the tone of a parent trying to answer the question of "why?" posed by a toddler for the thirtieth time in a row.

"I went shopping and all of the bags wont fit in my room,' she said with a shrug,' Besides, Edward, you don't need all of that space, you are only one person."

"I am a person who likes ALL of his space." he growled at her. Alice, he knew, was not exactly trying to be selfish. He had been told so times and time again by Carlisle and Jasper, they always mentioned that Vampires by nature were rather selfish and it just came out more in Alice. "You have to be pactient with her, son, she is so like a child. She will grow out oof it soon, I'm sure." Carlisle would say. "Just let her be, Edward. You don't have to be so dramatic about it..." Jasper would growl, volatile against anyone daring to speak what he perceived to be rudely of his mate.

"You know what? FINE! I'll move my stuff, but next time you need a favor do not coming running to me!" Alice huffed, stomping her foot and putting her nose in the air. Edward simply rolled his eyes. Sure Alice's gift was very helpful, but ever since they came to New York she had not been able to get many visions. As long as Isabella was involved in their plans Alice would be going at it blind,just like the rest of them.

Perhaps, not all of them, Edward's gift did help him to know what was coming. Being able to read peoples mind did give him a good idea of what was going to come at certain places. It did not always work, but it was better than nothing. He did not know how the rest of his family did it. Save for Jasper, Alice, and himself the rest of the family had no powers and thusly never had an advantage when going into to different situations. Their gifts made their lives so much easier and all three often used their powers to have things turn out favorably for themselves. Alice and Edward were typically in competition about this ,wanting to out do the others' talent. In that Edward had the upper hand as he could see Alice's visions. At the same time, even though Alice could not hide her visions from him if he was there when it happened, she was pretty good at hiding her thoughts from him when she deemed it necessary.

To be honest, however, he would choose Alice over Rosalie any day. If you asked him who would he choose to save if something Ludacris happened like they were about to be torn apart by werewolves and he could only choose one of them, he would hem-and-haw about how he couldn't choose. He was pretty sure, though, that his family knew of his preference. Rosalie wasn't...horrible, they just had never gotten along with one another. The problem was that they thought the same things about each other. Both thought the other was stuck up and vain. The real problem, Carlisle had mused more than once to Esme, was that they were too much alike. Edward was Rosalie with out the outer vanity and Rosalie was Edward with out the intellectual vanity.

"Also,' Alice snapped,' Carlisle said to be ready in an hour. He wants to go surprise Isabella at her book shop." With that the Vampiress glided into Edward's room and started to gather her bags. With a shake of the head Edward wandered to their living room, which was currently empty. He had felt very little about coming to meet this Isabella. They were leaving Forks soon, anyway with or with out her sudden appearance. He had to admit, though, that he was rather curious about the woman that had called for them. Never had he seen such a look of happiness in his Sire's eyes than when he spoke of the letter that had been sent by Isabella. Edward thought himself the prodigal son, but apparently their was completion in that market. He had been rather shocked to hear that their had been someone in his and Rosalie's absences. He was not sure what exactly he thought Esme and Carlisle did when they had left, but he did not think they were replaced by someone. Someone, apparently, that was more special than either of them. Maybe he was a tad jealous. He had always thought himself to be his Sire's favorite of his children. He was the eldest, thee smartest, and the most gifted. What was there not to be proud of?

Still, he knew that he was still special. He was the first son. Let Alice worry about her spot of favorite daughter. Alice, though not the eldest of the girls, was surely the favorite of the two. He wondered how she would feel once she was replaced. Maybe, he thought hopefully, it meant that she would grow up since she would no longer be coddled.

He had to admit if he had to choose a favorite among his siblings it would have to be Emmett, oddly enough. Emmett, himself, was much like a large child, his personality defiantly clashed with the over-serious personality of Edward, but he found that sometimes he needed Emmett's playfulness to balance him out. This was not to say that Emmett did not infuriate him at times, because he certainly did. He was basically the female version of Alice, but with much less selfishness. He would never admit, any of this out loud of course. He wasn't suicidal.

"Ready to go?" Carlisle called out to Edward as he came into the living room.

"Yes. Carlisle? Are you sure this is a good idea? Surprising her like this?" Edward asked.

Carlisle answered with a sigh. "She has managed to cancel twice Edward, and neither time did she do it herself."

Edward hummed in response. He wouldn't admit it , but he would have done it the same way, if not a tiny bit different.

It was about two hours until the Cullens managed to leave the house. Between Alice freaking out over not being able to find the "perfect dress to go meet her new sister" in and Emmett starting to play video games with Jasper while waiting for Alice, they were lucky to get out in those two hours. Luckily it was a Monday at midnight, so traffic was not too bad and finding the book store was fairly simple. They had had to leave their cars in a parking garage because the entrance to the store was on the inside of the ally. Edward had felt somewhat hesitant to go down a dark ally. Sure he was a vampire, and yes he could beat off almost any foe, but it is almost always disconcerting to have to go down what seems like a never ending tunnel in the dark. To his, and his family's surprise, half way down the ally way things started to brighten. Almost to fast lights bloomed in front of them, and if felt as if the alleyway expanded and filled with people. By some sort of magic it looked like it had.

Looking around at the abrupt commotion Carlisle was the only one to come up with an answer. " It must be glamour,' he said, half to himself, ' some magic cast to make the area appear like an ally to any the magic does not detect as non-human." While Edward half listened, he was more concerned with looking around himself. Though he had lived a little more than a century it was rare he was around so many different mythicals at once. Beings were everywhere, some humanoid some monstrous. They milled around looking at shops and food carts. Edward never knew until now that there were actual shops dedicated for mythicals. The shop to his left seemed to be a cosmetic store of some sort, promising different products for every creature. Greyer for Gargoyles, sparkle scales for the tails of mer-folk, and heavens know what else. Alice was oohing and ahhing beside him as she looked at a clothing store meant specifically for vampires. The posters in the store windows claimed of charmed clothing that would never get blood on them and the newest in must-have vampire accessories.

Along with the shops were carts selling food and other items. Merchants called out to the crowd, trying to catch their attention.

"The finest fire jewels from Africa! Any Dragoness would be happy to have them!"  
>"The finest blood! Tiger blood! Unicorn blood! Pixie blood! The best blood at the best price!"<br>"Come here! Come here! Come see the Strix! One of the last vampiric birds!"

In all of the commotion Edward was having trouble paying attention. Between the outward commotion and all of the thoughts that were rushing him, he felt rather overwhelmed. "Edward!,'his sire called out to him, 'Isabella's shop this way." Carlisle grabbed Edward by the arm in order to steer him into the right direction. Edward allowed it, knowing that Carlisle was not trying to be condescending or overly paternal, but instead trying to help Edward find a place to anchor himself in all of the mess that surrounded him.

The old theatre that the bookshop was in was gorgeous. Edward wondered to himself why they had shut it down. The outside was made of marble with a large statue of a knight on either side of the door. In true Grecian theme pillars held up the marble awning. A large heaving looking oak door held the entrance to the theatre. Edward glanced to his right, noticing the sudden movement of Esme and Carlisle grabbing one another's hand, he quickly looked away from what felt to him like a private moment.

Carlisle stared at that oak door for what felt like eternity. He wasn't sure how long he and his family stood there, but for him time stood still. Behind that door was his lost child. He had never been sure if they would see her again, and after having her cancel with them twice he was not sure that she really wanted to...but he couldn't give up. She had sent it and that had to mean something or at least he hoped it meant something.

He was also scared. He was not sure what he would find on the other side of those doors. Had the years made Isabella become harsh? Had she gone back to drinking human blood? Had she gone back to being Volturi? The terrifying thing for him was that though he thought he knew her, he didn't. He wasn't sure who he was going to meet. Part of him wanted to keep the image of Isabella he already had. He wanted to keep picturing as the sweet girl who was so smart and so curious, who just wanted to live.

Esme squeezed his hand bringing him back to reality. "You okay?" She asked, her eyes full of concern and worries of her own, but he also saw in her eyes of why they had come at all; hope. Thee hope that they could have their family together and whole. Yes he had fears, but he had a chance at the happiness that he and his mate claimed. He could not allow his worries and doubts get in the way of finding their happiness. Carlisle nodded and gave his mate a tight smile before walking into the building.

The inside was eve more beautiful than the outside. The marble walls were draped with cream and gold cloths and tapestries hung about the room. In the middle of the entrance room was what Carlisle had been looking for; a help desk. He led his family through the large group of people milling around to get to the desk. There sat a young woman, about the age of Rosalie reading some book or another in a language Carlisle could not make out.

"Excuse me, miss." He said softly, as to not startle her.

She looked up at him with dark brow eyes and a moment after she bounced off of her chair to stand in front of him. She was rather pretty all soft hair and pale skin and appeared to have boundless energy.

"Hi! I'm Renesme, you can call me Nessie! How can I help you?" She chirped.

"Uhh...yes, I am looking for Isabella Swan."

At this the girl's eyes narrowed a bit. "Bella? What do you want from Bella? If you need something from her you need to make an appointment."

"No, no. This is not work related, it is more of a social call. Like a surprise."

The girl looked him up and down, studying him. It seemed to him that she was trying to decide if he was a threat or not. "Fine.' she said with a huff,' But if I hear a single thing that sounds off I will not hesitate to call security. Bella is in her office take those stairs to your right, go into the first door on you right, and then into the third box."

Carlisle's 'thank you' was met with a glare from Nessie, who watched while they walked away, clicking her tongue in distaste. Bella's job meant she got visitors often, most of the time unannounced, but she could tell already that these people were nothing but trouble. If, however, she turn them away and Bella had been expected them to show at some point in time at another she might get mad at Nessie, and Nessie was someone who could not deal with the people she liked being mad at her.

While Nessie argued with herself about whether or not this had been a good idea, the Cullens had made it up the stairs. Red silk curtains were ties by gold ropes to the wall, showing the entry to the box seat levels.

"Anu, it's Isabella...yes, it has been many years hasn't it?" a voice said from the third box. The voice was one that Carlisle would recognize anywhere, light and musical. Only Bella could own a voice like that.

"Well, you see I need a favor...what do you know about the works of Sappho?..."

Following the voice the Cullens came to the box that contained Bella. Looking inside Carlisle could see that it had been set up much like a small office, a petit coffee table sat in the middle and floor pillows scattered around them. A large man sat with his back to the stage area, leaning against the wall. His dark eyes looked up from a folder as they approached, studying them.

In front of him sat a petite vampires. Her brown hair pulled up into a pony tail that slender fingers played with as she spoke to someone on the phone.

"I understand that it is a hard request...yes...I need to find it for a client and I figured the Egyptian coven was the best place to start... uh-huh...um, hold on a second... What?" Isabella asked Jacob, who was starting to tense up. The werewolf merely jerked his hand in response.

When she turned around he eyes got as big saucers.

"Hello, Bella."


End file.
